Charger Athletics has announced the promotion of Luis de la Fuente to Head Men's Soccer Coach and the hiring of Ernesto Hidalgo as the Head Women's Soccer Coach.
 
"I am thrilled to see Luis transition to the role of men's head coach, he has stepped up and been an outstanding leader in this transition and he will continue to build and grow the men's soccer program." said Tim Jager, Director of Athletics.
 
De la Fuente has served as a graduate assistant for the past two seasons for the Chargers, helping guide the program to a regular season GPAC title in the 2023 season. The 2023 season produced eight All-GPAC Selections and two athletes recognized for player of the year honors. This past season three Chargers were named to the All-GPAC team.
 
De la Fuente during his collegiate career played at Tusculum University in Greeneville, Tennessee and Universidad de Oviedo in Spain.
 
De La Fuente holds an undergraduate degree in business from Universidad de Oviedo and a Master of Business Administration from Tusculum University. He will obtain a Master of Arts in Management Leadership and Sports Management from Briar Cliff this spring.
 
"I'm excited to announce Ernesto Hidalgo as our women's head coach," said Jager. "He brings a wealth of knowledge, but more importantly a focus on relationships, personal growth, and positive mentorship. He will be a great addition to the Charger athletic department."
 
Hidalgo previously served as an assistant coach at the University of California, Riverside this past season. Hidalgo also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at San Diego Christian College and served two seasons as Head Coach at FC Premier and spent a season as the assistant coach at Fullerton City College.
 
At UC Riverside, Hidalgo helped strategize and create training sessions as well as researching and preparing scouting reports for the Highlanders.
 
A native of Long Beach, California, Hidalgo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Arizona Global.